


i'll be air i'll be fire

by hellodeer



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Modern AU, pre-slash actually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-18
Updated: 2013-01-18
Packaged: 2017-11-25 23:30:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/644103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellodeer/pseuds/hellodeer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur drinks and gets high and</p><p>thinks about Merlin and</p><p>and--</p>
            </blockquote>





	i'll be air i'll be fire

**Author's Note:**

> title from snow patrol's engines. unbetaed. this is so poorly written i should probably be ashamed of posting it. i'm not.

Finals are over and it's summer now and his mates and Gwen are in his flat so Arthur drinks and gets high and  
  
for some reason the telly is on and  
  
a movie is playing. One character takes another character's hand and kisses it and he says, he tells her "I would give my life for you, my lady", and  
  
Funny that, Arthur thinks. So funny. He doesn't even know why it's funny but it is, because, see, because:  
  
Arthur has a lot of people he would die for anyday, anytime: his friends and his family, even Morgana, evil woman that she is. Gwen, lovely Gwen, with the curls and the smile and the warm skin and the hands always running through his hair, lovely Gwen who is the best girlfriend in the galaxy.  
  
Arthur would lay down his fucking life for them, wouldn't even think about it, would step in front of a bullet or rescue them out of burning buildings in a heartbeat.  
  
But then  
  
but then  
  
Then there's Merlin.  
  
Stupid stupid Merlin who's got ears big as bats and skin pale as snow and eyes blue as the endless sky that seem to flash golden sometimes, under certain lights, if you're looking correctly or looking for it and Arthur's always looking for it.  
  
And the thing about Merlin, see, the thing about Merlin is that Arthur would die for him anyday, anytime, would ride into the mouth of hell for him. And then he would negotiate with the devil or Hades or whoever the fuck, maybe outwit them, outprat them so he could come back to life and die for Merlin again if need be.  
  
And again if need be.  
  
And again if need be.  
  
Because that's the difference between Merlin and everyone else: for Merlin Arthur would die a hundred times, a thousand deaths, would step in front of bullets and rescue him out of burning buildings and donate him vital organs and push him out of the way of oncoming cars and drink poison in his place and  
  
that's the scariest fucking thing Arthur can think of, the lengths he would go to for Merlin because life isn’t worth living without him and Arthur loves him more than the sun and all the stars but mostly he’s selfish  
  
And for some reason Arthur’s laughing laughing laughing, hanging upside down on the arm of the couch, the movie still on and his mates still here and Gwen still rolling her eyes affectionately  
  
when Merlin’s head comes into his line of vision, face frowning but smiling that stupid smile of his that make Arthur’s belly lead a revolution inside his body.  
  
“What’s so funny?” Merlin asks, stone cold sober, and Arthur doesn’t know, he really doesn’t, he just knows it’s so so funny, _Mer_ lin, really you have no idea.  
  
But Arthur needs to touch so he reaches out awkwardly and grabs the first part of Merlin’s body his hand comes in contact with, which happens to be Merlin’s hips, which he squeezes  
  
And Merlin, he looks down at Arthur fondly and the light makes his eyes go golden and Arthur feels warm all over.


End file.
